TRUCK makers have criticised new pollutant emission standards for HGVs proposed by the European Commission (EC) and said they risk slowing down the transition to zero-emission transport, writes Chris Tindall.
The Euro 7 standards are currently due to be implemented in 2027 for heavy goods vehicles, but the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said there were limited benefits and it would heavily increase the cost of vehicles.
Oliver Zipse, ACEA president, said the EC’s proposals were ‘particularly harsh’ for HGVs and that they ignored the industry’s accelerating shift towards zero-emission vehicles. “The auto industry takes its role to reduce both CO2 and pollutant emissions very seriously,” he said.
“Indeed, last year we made a constructive proposal for a new Euro 7 which would bring a major reduction in criteria pollutants, thus improving air quality. Unfortunately, the environmental benefit of the commission’s proposal is very limited.”
Martin Lundstedt, Volvo Group chief executive, was also scathing about the EC proposals in light of the substantial engineering and financial resources required for battery and fuel-cell electric vehicles.
He said: “Policy makers should focus on measures that accelerate fleet renewal, prioritising investments in zero-emission vehicles, which will have a far bigger impact on both air quality and reduced CO2 emissions.”
The ACEA has also criticised the 2027 date, describing it as unrealistic, given the number of vehicle models and variants needed to be developed, engineered, tested and type approved.
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